This invention is directed to firearm accessory holders designed for placement on the waist belt of a wearer, and in particular, holders designed for concealed carry by wearers who are authorized to bear concealed weapons.
Persons who are authorized by law to carry concealed weapons, such as military and law enforcement personnel, peace officers, private investigators and private citizens often prefer to do so discreetly, so as not to draw attention to themselves by other fellow citizens. In the case of law enforcement personnel assigned to undercover duty, the ready appearance of firearms or accessories could jeopardize the success of their assignment or possibly even their lives.
Two of the most common activities in which concealed firearms wearers can compromise their concealment are during routine walking movement and while bending at the waist. Both activities can "telegraph" existence of firearms and accessories by the shifting or appearance of "bulges" through the wearers' garments about the waist. The bulges are often created by relative movement of the firearm or accessories and the wearer's body. Movement or shifting of firearms and accessories relative to the wearer's body also impedes quick access in times of stress; the wearer has to fumble around to find where the desired object has moved.
Their is a great demand by persons who carry concealed firearms for holsters, belts and firearms accessory holders, (often called "leatherware" in the industry), which provide ready concealment under garments, yet which also allow ready access to the firearms and accessories when needed quickly during potentially violent confrontations. Firearms accessories often needed in conjunction with firearms include firearm ammunition recharging devices (i.e., spring-loaded box magazines for rifles, pistols or shotguns, revolver speed loaders, speed strips, stripper clips, individual ammo round holders and en-bloc clips), short batons or other impact instruments, defensive chemical immobilization sprays (i.e., pepper and/or teargas), handcuffs and flashlights.
In response to the need for concealment holsters and ammunition concealment pouches, manufacturers have developed leatherware of different designs which attempt to maximize concealment yet which provide for ready access to the wearer. One such manufacturer is Mitchell Leatherworks of Dunbarton, N.H., U.S.A. Mitchell Leatherworks sells single and double ammunition magazine carriers, sold under the "#5M" and "#5DM" trademarks, respectively.
The aforementioned Mitchell Leatherworks magazine carriers are constructed with contoured backing portions for conformity to the wearer's body and a pair of belt slots which draw the backing portions close to the wearer upon belt tightening. The pouch portions of the aforementioned Mitchell Leatherworks magazine carriers are canted toward the wearer's body, and are closed at the bottom thereof in order to limit magazine insertion into the carrier. The magazine pouch portions are intentionally cut low in order to leave a great length of the ammunition magazine exposed for easy grasping by the wearer in high-stress reloading situations. As a result, the aforementioned magazine carriers closely hug the wearer, blending with the natural profile of abdomen and torso, and maintain a consistent position on the wearer's belt, while leaving a relatively large length of the magazine exposed for ready and rapid grasping by the wearer. Thus the Mitchell Leatherworks magazine carriers eliminate the appearance of "bulges" around the wearer's waist during routine movement, even during bending motions. Mitchell Leatherworks also sells complimentary handgun holsters, sold under the trademarks "ARG", "#5G", "#5JR" and "#SPT".
While manufacturers, such as Mitchell Leatherworks have sold concealment holsters and magazine carriers, less attention has been given by manufacturers to other firearms accessory concealment holders. One critical accessory is the flashlight, which is needed for suspect identification and general illumination. Uniformed military and police personnel often carry large multi-cell flashlights in open pouches or rings on their duty belts. Traditional police/military flashlights were too large for concealed carry on a wearer's belt.
A newer generation of flashlights utilizes high illumination bulbs and high performance lithium or alkaline style batteries that provide levels of candlepower comparable to traditional military and police flashlights. One representative example of the new generation of small flashlights is the "SUREFIRE .RTM. 6P" sold by Laser Products of Fountain Valley, Calif., U.S.A. The "SUREFIRE" flashlight is only of the order of 6 inches (15 centimeters) long and has a barrel diameter of the order of 1 inch (2.5 centimeters); it has a biased actuation button at the end distal the bulb and lens which is surrounded by a threaded annular ring. Depression of the actuation button by the user turns on the light. The new generation of small, compact, high performance flashlights are now being carried in concealed fashion, as firearms and spare ammunition carriers have been in the past. This has necessitated accessory holders for concealed flashlight carry.
Existing prior art accessory holders for compact, concealment flashlights have been inadequate for proper concealment carry. As shown in FIG. 1, the compact, high performance flashlight 20 has a biased actuation button 22 which is constrained by an annular ring-shaped cap 23, and is retained in holder 24. The holder 24 has a cylindrical pouch portion 26 with a belt retainer 28 in the form of a sewn-in-place or snap-fitted tunnel loop, or a spring clip. The belt retainer 28 is placed high on the upper end of the cylindrical pouch 26, so that the remainder of the pouch hangs below the wearer's belt.
As shown in the partial cut-away portion of FIG. 1, the top lens and bulb module of the flashlight contacts the holder 24 top rim 30 of the cylindrical pouch portion 26 when fully inserted therein, and the pouch portion is constructed longer than the barrel portion of the flashlight 20, so that clearance is left between the bottom of the cylindrical pouch portion 26 and the actuation button 22. This clearance prevents inadvertent actuation of the flashlight actuation button 22, which could otherwise occur if the flashlight 20 is stored in a traditional closed bottom pouch, which relies upon flashlight bottom edge direct contact with the pouch bottom.
Such a known compact flashlight holder 24 shown in FIG. 1 does not keep the flashlight close to the wearer's body. In fact, it tends to allow the lower end of the free-hanging pouch portion 26 to flop around, which in turn causes "bulges" in outer garments, especially when the wearer walks quickly or bends at the waist. Only the lens and bulb portion of the flashlight 20, but not its barrel portion, are exposed for grasping by the wearer. As with spare ammunition magazine carriers, it is desirable to have a greater portion of the flashlight 20 exposed for easy grasping in high-stress emergencies and confrontations. Unfortunately, if the prior art flashlight holder 24 cylindrical portion 26 is shortened to expose more of the flashlight 20, the actuation switch 22 will abut directly against the pouch portion 26 bottom, which might inadvertently turn on the flashlight. Alternative carry techniques for compact flashlights are even more unsatisfactory: they include merely shoving the bare flashlight into the wearer's belt or stuffing it into pockets. Both alternatives leave the flashlight prone to loss and moreover, the light constantly tends to shift in the pocket or lose under the belt.
There is a need for firearms accessory concealment holders which provide for discreet, concealed carry of flashlights, batons and the like, which maintain a relatively constant position on a wearer's belt and which minimize telltale "bulges" through garments.
There is also a need for firearms accessory concealment holders which provide for discreet, concealed carry of flashlights, batons and the like, which do not cause inadvertent actuation of actuation switches due to contact of the holder and the actuation switch, yet which allow a relatively large length of the accessory to be freely exposed for easy, rapid grasping by the wearer.